The following additional definitions apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly indicates another meaning. These definitions are related to the rules regarding the format for the calculation and display of cost data.

(1) "Aggregate cost data" means data collected from individual-level records that are maintained in a form that does not permit the identification of individual records.

(2) "Arithmetic mean" means the sum of a set of values, divided by the number of values in the set.

(3) "Average" means the arithmetic mean.

(4) "Cell size suppression" means a method used to report data that restricts or suppresses disclosure of subsets of data to protect the identity and privacy of data subjects and to avoid the risk of identification of individuals or providers in small population groups.

(5) "Median" means the middle value of a list of values where the values have been sorted in size order. If the list has an even number of values, the median is the arithmetic mean of the two middle values.

(6) "Outlier" means an observation that is well outside of the expected range of values in a study or experiment, and which is often discarded from the data set.

(7) "Proportion" means a comparative relation between things or magnitudes as to size, quantity, number, or ratio.

(8) "Range" is the largest value in the set of numbers minus the smallest value in the set. Often, a range is expressed to denote a particular span, e.g., 25th to 75th percentile range. Note that as a statistical term, the range is a single number, not a range of numbers.